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Avatar universal

HELP Please........

I am a woman of 49 who had a small stroke about a year ago, Ever since my pain in my left knee has gotten worse, I have been to a reumatologist and my own primary care physician. I am on "Lisinopril" and "Amlodipine" for blood pressure/cholestrol and on 50 mg. Tramadol for the pain in my knees. I was told I would need total knee replacement at some point. My pharmacy and doctor has let me down with getting me the Tramadol, right now I am waiting a week to get my prescription. Is there anything that I can take over the counter (Aleeve and  Advil) dont work. Is there anything I can do for the pain that is all the time. The burning in my leg and knee, and keeping up at night?
7 Responses
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875426 tn?1325528416
It would take a great desire for trying to help your leg to commit to go that distance to the Y.  I know prior to arthroscopic knee surgery, the YMCA I went to after work, it was typically more than a 30 minute drive from work to get there from my job, but was fairly close to home, which is nice when you are wet.

It is a blessing to have insurance.  But there can be pitfalls in any event.   If you consider yourself disabled, have you tried applying for disability?  If you get disability approved by the government through doctor(s), after awhile, you can qualify for Medicare benefits.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I live about 30 minutes from a YMCA so I dont think that will work to go...I am just waiting to go to the University Hospital to a doctor there. I have such high hopes, I just hope they are all acknowledged. I am low income so I cant expect anything, and cant do much about it. I cant walk or move around very well because my leg (knee) hurts when I do, so I stay sitting pretty much all the time. I have come to realize when your "low income" there is not a lot of help out there, and what you do get your thankful for it. People dont know how lucky they are if they have insurance or can go to any doctor or even get a second opinion.

Liz
Helpful - 0
875426 tn?1325528416
It sounds like you are experiencing some peripheral neuropathy in your leg.  I hope you can get some testing to try to determine if all of these neurological type sounding symptoms are being caused by the damage in your knee joint or something else.  Do you feel circulation is good to the leg?  

I have a friend who has very bad knees who feels getting up and moving is very important.  If you could get in a heated pool at a Y and walk about where there is difference compared to the gravity pull when on dry land, it might help at least strengthen the surrounding supportive structures to the knee.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well since my divorce about 10 years ago, I have been low income. I have worked ever since but at a minimum wage job. So I will be going to a university hospital to have the surgery done (when I decide to do it). I dont know who or what, I will just have to put my trust in them to do a good job. I wont have much choice. But thats probably a good thing, at least I can get it done and not have to suffer.

Elizabeth
Helpful - 0
144586 tn?1284666164
The total knee replacement operations have become quite commonplace, and often have good results. Be advised that there are a number of different "total knee replacements" out there from a number of different surgical supply companies. And it is no great secret that many surgeons choose a new model and you are the first patient they work on with that particular replacement knee. There is a set of tools to go along with each type, which are sometimes lent by the manufacturers rep., who scrub, are in the operating theatre, often do the actual surgery. Yeah, year, I know this never happens, but I've been around the block a long time and it happened in 1975 and it happens today. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Knee replacement is not rocketship science and the rep. usually knows everything about the knee he sells. Cutting to the chase, have the surgery done by an orthopedic surgeon that does a lot of them, find out the specific model of knee being considered, and ask how many procedures the surgeon has done with that manufacturer's model.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you for your reply....I havent tried acupuncture, I am aware of it and had thought about it, but I dont have a lot of money so its out for right now. Ice does help a little, heat has helped....but nothing takes away the burning feeling and the pins and needles feeling in my leg. The Tramadol, which I am taking (50 mg.) helps me at night, and I dont want to get hooked on it so I only take one tablet at night for right now. I have an appointment to go to the University hopsitals in April, but I need something to get me by till then. Sitting upright in the recliner helps the most.

Elizabeth
Helpful - 0
875426 tn?1325528416
Are you taking aspirin, Plavix or some other blood thinning medication?  If not, you might consider acupuncture.  I saw some years back on tv a report of a scientific study which proved the needles put in the proper places (versus placebo needles put in the wrong places) resulted in help with knee arthritis pain for a significant percentage of patients.  But of course, it generally can take awhile for acupuncture to start giving better pain relief if it is going to work.

You might see if moist or dry heat packs or ice help with the symptoms.  Exercising it in a heated pool might be of some help, strengthening supporting structures.  Have you tried things such as tiger balm?  You might try to take something to help you to relax, like over the counter passion flower or valerian root.

I'm sorry you are in so much pain and hope you can hang in there until you can get more of your prescription!
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Amlodipine can cause joint pain and swelling apparently. Im on it and will ask GP to change it, as in the morning my hands are painful, stiff  sometimes numb

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